The Predestined Affliction
by TheKittyRin
Summary: To everyone, he was the living genius whose skill in alchemy matched no other. He was the youngest State Alchemist. But facades are weak illusions, and it hid away a boy who was terrified of being small. A boy who couldn't save his mother. A boy who destroyed his younger brother's body. A boy who hated being small / BROTP! Al & Ed ! /


**The Predestined Affliction**

_by TheKittyRin_

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Edward walked down the muddy path, his boots sinking in the muck. He felt the raindrops graze his skin but he did not bother to take shelter. The air was cold and humid, and the fog in front of him made it impossible for him to see anything clearly. His mouth was twisted in discomfort.

He could smell the dewy forest next to them. There was a strange stillness in this picture; a few dark spots on a blank canvas.

He could hear a familiar noise from behind, the clamor of metal and dirt clinging together, echoing through the empty road. It was his brother, Alphonse, who was struggling to move a few paces behind. The mud was slowing him down, and Edward could hear Alphonse choking.

_They were almost there._

"Al, are you alright?" He inquired, his eyes narrowing to find the gargantuan figure of his sibling.

"Yes!" A light voice, hollow, answered; one that undoubtedly belonged to his younger brother. Edward waited patiently, as he always did, looking after Alphonse like there was no tomorrow. This was the way the Elric brothers lived, day by day, because they never knew what awaited them the next day. Perhaps it was life, perhaps it was the Philosopher Stone, or even, perhaps it was death. Truth was still patiently waiting for their return.

It was all a matter of time.

**X**

"We need a room for two, old man!" Edward explained as he set on the table his silver pendant which proved he was a State Alchemist. The man's mouth gapped open, his pupils dilating from surprise.

He gasped, "Oh– yes, certainly! You must be Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"That's right," he grinned, pointing to himself, glad that someone was treating him for his real worth, "That's _me_!"

The sight of a State Alchemist was a rare occasion, especially in a town such as this one. Within half an hour, word had spread about the arrival of the grand Fullmetal Alchemist, and the hotel was packed with a dozen people who were all dying to see what this young alchemist looked like. Unsurprisingly though, they all supposed Alphonse to be the State Alchemist that everyone talked about, _not_ Edward.

Al laughed nervously, fully knowing how much his older brother resented this. He gestured to Edward, trying to explain the situation. They all peered at him in a sluggish way and blinked. Whatever ounce of patience the young alchemist had was vanishing at a rapid pace.

"That _little_ guy is the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Their voices all echoed in the hotel, creating a brouhaha of muffled voices. Edward felt his whole self tremble from anger. His fists tightened, and he felt his heart beat with excessive fury.

"Who you calling the smallest of all the pipsqueaks you little fu-!"

Edward began to stamp his feet on the wooden ground, the hollow sound echoing through the building. He looked like a child, prancing around like he owned the place. He let out yells of rage, and at once, all his previous composure seemed to be dissipating into thin air. People began screaming at the young alchemist for being so rash, and the arguments seemed never-ending.

"What my brother meant..." Alphonse timidly said, his voice feeble, and his head lolling on one side. His words, however, were lost to the crowd. He was desperately trying to calm his older sibling, but the excessive fracas made it impossible for anyone to hear him.

He sighed, his breath amplified by the empty armor.

**X**

"Hey, brother?" Alphonse inquired when he heard Edward's commotion in the hallway coming closer to their room, looking up from the small flower tucked away in his hand, "What did Winry have to say?"

"Oh, the same nonsense about automail," Edward slammed the door, bolting in. His red coat flew back, Edward's shadow following closely behind. He crossed his arms over his chest, and fell back on his bed, his body bouncing on the mattress, "Honestly, you'd think that automail freak had better things to do than call me."

His eyes were now closed, as if determined to let this matter go.

Al had to sigh, once again. His brother and his lack of feelings towards what mattered appalled him. Why was Edward always so insistent on the fact that nobody should be allowed to care about him? The three of them had grown up together and lived through a similar, traumatic experience of losing their parents. She cared for them.

Ed could be _so_ insensitive.

"That's it?" Alphonse insisted, nuancing his words as he went. He enjoyed teasing his brother about Winry because it felt like it was the one information that Alphonse was willing to use to control his brother. As expected, Edward's eyebrows frowned, and his eyes opened to reveal the flames of passion. His mouth turned into a scowl.

"Just what are you insinuating, huh?" Alphonse noticed that his brother's face had gone a little red, and his whole body seemed to be on a defensive mode, "She called me _small_, per usual!" He mumbled the last sentence so quietly that it took a couple of seconds for it to sink in. Edward sighed, still fuming, and got up to stare outside his window.

He seemed wistful.

The night was dark with no stars apparent in the sky. The fog hid the moon, but the light that passed through created a hauntingly beautiful but ghostly reflection over the town.

**X**

"Hey... Al?" A voice murmured in the pitch black room, the tone sounding hesitant and pensive.

Alphonse shifted his body to look at his brother, who was the one who had spoken. He was surprised to see he wasn't asleep.

He was just wearing a white shirt with his underwear, and refused to put any blankets over his body, despite the air being humid. His hair was messy and wild, and even in the dimness of the moonlight, Alphonse could see his brother's golden eyes shimmering with emotions. This was a rare sight that the younger brother only got to notice on certain nights, when Edward felt most vulnerable.

"Yes, brother?" He finally answered, angling his armor body towards his older sibling.

"Why do people insist on calling me small?" The question stunned Alphonse, but he did not let it show. Edward's face was turned towards the window once again, and he could imagine his somber expression just from the tone of his question.

Alphonse hesitated, choosing his words very carefully, "They like to tease you, Ed. You give entertaining reactions."

"But _why_?" This time, the question was more firm and more demanding.

This time, it took more time for the younger brother to answer, because he was trying to understand what Edward was asking himself. It was sometimes hard, having an older brother that was hard to read and that gave seldom information away. But Alphonse was intelligent and understood people well, and he thought he understood Edward best of all. The boy was admired by most, but resented a lot of the fame. There was a constant disgust in who he was, and what he done.

He _always_ blamed himself.

Alphonse hated this guilt. He would give anything to make it stop. Even his soul.

"I think it's because of who you are. They want to find one weakness." Alphonse began, his mind elsewhere, to a time when the two brothers had lost everything. Edward blinked, a confused expression on his face but nodded, his eyes begging for him to continue. Alphonse felt a twist of pain despite him not having a body, "You're _the_ Edward Elric, Brother. You're a living genius; the youngest State Alchemist; the boy who... transmuted his mother and _lived_," Alphonse's tone was beginning to choke, shuddering at the thought that this would be considered an accomplishment. Although not too many knew about this, the few that did always seemed to think of it as a proof of Edward's skill in alchemy, "_You're the Fullmetal Alchemist_."

There was a dead silence that hung in the air, like a disease that clang on and on. Alphonse gulped. He was staring at the wooden planks, trying desperately to forget the image that still haunted him. All the blood, the cries and that corpse reaching out...

_Mom_.

"So. That's why." Edward finally muttered, his tone disgusted, "Fullmetal Alchemist..." Edward got up as he paced across the room, reaching a mirror. He stared at himself, not seeing much with the lack of light. However, even with the blackness surrounding him, Edward looked into his fierce and determined eyes, "I _hate_ that name. I wish people would stop referring to any of these titles. And worse..." His voice trailed off, the echoes succumbing to the silence.

Suddenly, Edward punched the wall with his automail arm, the room vibrating at the violent touch of the young alchemist. His face was vehement. As Edward retreated, he noticed the dent he had left, but he did not care. He stared at his own feet, feeling his shoulders weigh down in defeat. He brought his moist hand to his face, wiping the sweat off his face.

"I'm exhausted..." he began, "exhausted of people finding small my weakness. Of all the things they could find... I've committed such heinous acts," he moaned, a furious sound escaping his lips, "I'm just human, _dammit_." He stared at the ceiling this time, his bangs covering his eyes to hide his shame. He smiled sadly, "A foolish human who could not save his mother, and who made his brother lose his body..."

"Brother!" Alphonse's large body had gotten up rigidly, his whole being revolted by what his older brother had just said, "How dare you say something like _that_? I hate it when you put all the blame on yourself" His voice was violent and frenzied, a wave of emotion overwhelming his senses.

"But it is my fault, Al..." Edward whispered, turning himself towards his brother, "I... I don't _want_ to be small anymore."

His honey-colored eyes were on his armored-brother, giving him a pleading look. He looked like he was on the verge of tears as his body trembled with fear.

"Brother..."

There was a long silence, where nothing could be said. Edward did look so small at that moment, his shoulders falling down, as he looked more defeated than ever before.

The wind outside rustled restlessly, a murmur in the night.

Then, there was large sound that resonated in the room, a clang of metal that had hit glass.

Alphonse blinked, and was horrified to see that his brother had hit the mirror with his automail fist, breaking the reflection into an innumerable amount of shards. Although the mirror was smashed, you could still detect a menacing figure, repeating the image many times. It was a scary image.

The shards had spread everywhere, including in Edward's skin. He didn't seem to care as his stare was fixed on the floor. Additionally, his automail looked slightly busted.

"I'm not going to allow that," he stuttered. He took a deep sigh and seemed to regain his composure, "I need to be strong. I _won't_ be small. I need to be the strongest human to get your body back. I promised you."

As he said this, Edward looked up, his eyes now looking like they wanted to live and more determined than Alphonse had seen him in a while. The two brothers had seen more destruction and violence that was necessary for a lifetime, and it was seen in the way they acted.

Edward, the little boy who couldn't save his mother. Who had inflicted this metal body to his younger sibling. Who couldn't save one little girl. Whose research caused Maes Hughes' death. This was too much guilt for anyone to handle. The lingering emptiness was still present, ever beating on, but the young Alchemist would never allow it to bring him down. Because he had made a promise.

No matter what, _this_ was his goal. He didn't care about his own life, because it wasn't worth much anymore. His eyes flickered to Al's, and the two exchanged comforting looks that gave the Fullmetal Alchemist courage. Alphonse's life was worth all this. He would make things right.

The younger sibling smiled, not aware that his brother had just forsaken his own life for his younger brother, and stood up in front of him.

"_Let's do it_."

This was the way the Elric brothers lived, determined to save one and another, even if it meant sacrificing their own selves, and painfully unaware of the tragedy in their resolutions.

**~ Fin ~**


End file.
